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Platini plea for players to entertain

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WARSAW (Poland): Now, finally, UEFA president Michel Platini wants the players to take center stage when the European Championship kicks off on Friday.

Football has almost been ignored during a turbulent five years for Poland and Ukraine as they sought to vindicate UEFA’s decision to take its showpiece 16-nation tournament to eastern Europe.

Now the former France great, who captained and coached his country, wants the teams to seize the headlines.

“I say to the players, ‘Go out and entertain us,'” Platini said on Wednesday. He spoke at the National Stadium in Warsaw – one of many rebuilding projects delivered behind schedule – where Poland will open Euro 2012 against 2004 champion Greece.

“What I would like now after (five) years of work, is to be able to calmly watch the games, to give the ball over to the players and let them get on with it,” said Platini, who lifted the trophy in 1984.

The potential story lines are rich and deep for what is arguably the best international tournament.

Can World Cup winner Spain become the first nation to successfully defend its European title, and further define an era of Barcelona-inspired greatness?

Will a still young Germany team overcome the Spain-shaped obstacle which keeps blocking its title runs?

Platini echoes the popular wisdom that two favorites stand above the rest.

“These are Germany and Spain if they play at 100 percent of their level,” Platini told reporters. “If they don’t, there are a lot of teams which can beat them.” (Agencies)

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